The present invention relates to a reel device for a wire harness which is assembled onto a wire harness for being routed between a fixed body and a movable member, and which is suitable for use for a wire harness which is routed between, for example, the vehicle body of a vehicle such as an automobile and a door which is openably mounted therein.
Various electric equipment such as a motor for a power window and a door-mounted speaker are generally assembled in a door for a vehicle such as an automobile, and a wire harness needs to be routed between the vehicle body and the door so as to electrically connect such electric equipment on the one hand, and a power source, a control unit, and various sensors located on the vehicle body side on the other hand.
FIG. 14 shows a related reel device for a flat-cable disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 11-116145A. This reel device is comprised of a flat cable 72 having a distal end portion connected to a movable connector 70 and a proximal end portion connected to a fixed connector 71; a fixed shaft member 73 on which the fixed connector 71 is disposed; and a carrier 74 supported by the shaft member 73 and adapted to rotate around its outer periphery. The arrangement provided is such that the carrier 74 is drawn out in a direction opposite to the taking-up direction of the flat cable 72, and the flat cable 72 is taken up onto an outer peripheral face of the shaft member 73 and an outer peripheral face of the carrier 74 in such a manner as to be oriented in mutually opposite directions as the carrier 74 is rotated.
In addition, FIGS. 15 and 16 show another related reel device for a wire harness disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-176272A. In this reel device, a movable connector 81 is disposed at one end of a flat cable 80, while a fixed connector 82 is disposed at the other end thereof. A lengthwise intermediate point of the flat cable 80 is passed through an opening 84 provided in a side face of a reel body 83, and is fixed to the reel body 83 in the vicinity of the opening 84. One half of the flat cable 80 extending from the intermediate point to the movable connector 81 is wound around the reel body 83, and can be drawn out from a casing 85 against the spring force of a reel spring. The remaining half of the flat cable 80 is placed on the outer side of the reel body 83 and is positioned in such a manner as to be capable of being tightened around an extended shaft of the reel body 83. Further, the fixed connector 82 is provided in such a manner as to be exposed on the outer side of the casing 85.
The above-described former and latter related techniques have the following problems, respectively.
(1) Each of the related techniques is a reel device for a flat cable, and the apparatus is difficult to be assembled onto a wire harness composed of a plurality of electric wires (wires having circular cross sections) which are routed between a fixed member and a movable member.
(2) Each time the flat cable is drawn out from the casing or rewound into the casing depending on the movement of the movable member, a force is applied to the flat cable, and the stress to which the flat cable is subjected is large. Hence, there is a possibility of the flat cable becoming disconnected.
(3) Connectors to be connected to other wires need to be provided at opposite ends of the flat cable, and connectors are also required on the other wire sides. In addition, since the cost of the flat cable itself is high, the manufacturing cost increases.
(4) The operation of assembling the flat cable into the casing is troublesome. For example, with the above-described latter related technique, a troublesome operation is required in which the intermediate point of the flat cable 80 is passed through the opening 84 in the reel body 83, and its one half is wound around the reel body 83.